Hey folks,
I'm going to be taking a temporary hiatus from blogging until after September 20th...
On September 13 I will be running my last major long run (23 miles) before the marathon (October 12).
On September 20th I will be running in the AIDS Foundation of Chicago AIDS Run & Walk, so if you want, come cheer me on!
Check back after September 20th for a full update on how things are going and how I'm feeling with less than a month until the Chicago Marathon!
peace.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
20 miles in the heat
wow today was intense on so many levels!
most obviously... i ran 20 miles for the first time ever in life...
i also debuted my brand new "cutesy" running outfit...
now i know you are wondering.... why is that intense?
but for those of you that know me.... you know that "cute" is a very recent phenomenon in my life... so it took a good a 2hrs of running before i got comfortable with the fact that people were actually looking at me (in a good way)... as i ran past....
... i'm shy to put it mildly...
it was also 87 FREAKING DEGREES OUTSIDE and the humidity made it feel like 92!!!!!
never has being hydrated been so necessary to my life... i swear i sweated off 5lbs (and clearly i can't afford to lose any weight)
nevertheless.... i am so thankful that i decided to run... or more accurately... decided to finish...
the last two days i've been in a pretty heavy funk... ... i haven't really wanted to go anywhere, do anything or talk to anybody... sometimes sadness just hits you like that you know?
i wasn't even going to go run this morning... until yesterday morning when i looked at the list i made for myself on on 43things.com a month ago...
one of the things i promised myself is that i'd be healthier... and with that i said i would make sure i completed every remaining workout for the marathon unless there were extenuating circumstances...
... so... i decided to go...
but after the first 8 miles... i just couldn't shake how i was feeling... and i really felt like i should just go home and call it a day.... and its crazy... when your mind is feeling sad/tired like that... it definetly makes it harder on your body...
but i knew that if i stopped running i would just feel worse when i got home...
so i decided to keep pushing... and it was such a blessing because by the time we hit 57th... i was so freaking hot i couldn't even focus on being sad anymore... all i could think about was pushing my body, finishing the run and cooling down!
i ended up having a GREAT time! the run was really succesful and i was even able to sprint the last .5 miles with one of my running partners...
this marathon training has saved me from myself so many times this summer... its amazing how good running can make your mind and your body feel... and the discipline it requires has definetly translated into other areas of my life... namely... my qualifying exam studying...
so here i am... 50 days away from the chicago marathon...
peace.
most obviously... i ran 20 miles for the first time ever in life...
i also debuted my brand new "cutesy" running outfit...
now i know you are wondering.... why is that intense?
but for those of you that know me.... you know that "cute" is a very recent phenomenon in my life... so it took a good a 2hrs of running before i got comfortable with the fact that people were actually looking at me (in a good way)... as i ran past....
... i'm shy to put it mildly...
it was also 87 FREAKING DEGREES OUTSIDE and the humidity made it feel like 92!!!!!
never has being hydrated been so necessary to my life... i swear i sweated off 5lbs (and clearly i can't afford to lose any weight)
nevertheless.... i am so thankful that i decided to run... or more accurately... decided to finish...
the last two days i've been in a pretty heavy funk... ... i haven't really wanted to go anywhere, do anything or talk to anybody... sometimes sadness just hits you like that you know?
i wasn't even going to go run this morning... until yesterday morning when i looked at the list i made for myself on on 43things.com a month ago...
one of the things i promised myself is that i'd be healthier... and with that i said i would make sure i completed every remaining workout for the marathon unless there were extenuating circumstances...
... so... i decided to go...
but after the first 8 miles... i just couldn't shake how i was feeling... and i really felt like i should just go home and call it a day.... and its crazy... when your mind is feeling sad/tired like that... it definetly makes it harder on your body...
but i knew that if i stopped running i would just feel worse when i got home...
so i decided to keep pushing... and it was such a blessing because by the time we hit 57th... i was so freaking hot i couldn't even focus on being sad anymore... all i could think about was pushing my body, finishing the run and cooling down!
i ended up having a GREAT time! the run was really succesful and i was even able to sprint the last .5 miles with one of my running partners...
this marathon training has saved me from myself so many times this summer... its amazing how good running can make your mind and your body feel... and the discipline it requires has definetly translated into other areas of my life... namely... my qualifying exam studying...
so here i am... 50 days away from the chicago marathon...
peace.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
This Week
I didn't do the 10 mile maintenance run this weekend because I was out of town for a wedding.
I could potentially decide to go to the north side and run with the groups there tomorrow, but I haven't made a decision yet because I kind of think my knees need a good rest before the 20 mile run on Saturday.
With a 20 mile run next week and a 23 mile run 2 weeks after that, I feel like I need to be very careful about how much strain I put on my knees. At the same time, the recovery runs are important both mentally and physically... so we will see. My knees were really hurting me when I ran my maintenance run two days in row this week. So if nothing else I really have to schedule my runs better.
Today I went to Fleet Feet and replaced my running shoes. Although my current training shoes are in pretty good shape, they would definetly be shot by the time I got to the marathon, and it is never a good thing to try and run 26.2 miles in new shoes. So instead, you buy new running shoes now so that you can start to break them in, but they are still relatively fresh for the marathon.
They were having a sale for a triatholon that is coming up in Chicago next week. So I finally got the opportunity to buy some new running shorts, running panties and body glide to address the chafing and riding up issues I've been having of late.
I also bought some cute workout pants that were on sale. As I'm getting older I'm realizing how important looking good is to how I feel about myself. I've always adopted this whole, "I'm going to be a bum" type attitude. But until recently I've never realized how much it has wrecked havoc on my confidence.
Although I will never be a fashion diva. Being more conscious of my appearance at school, at home and in the gym, has a way of making me feel really good and really confidant. So, it was nice to get some cute things that I can run and go to the gym in, instead of the big, wrinkly things I usually wear.
20 miles... here I come!
peace.
I could potentially decide to go to the north side and run with the groups there tomorrow, but I haven't made a decision yet because I kind of think my knees need a good rest before the 20 mile run on Saturday.
With a 20 mile run next week and a 23 mile run 2 weeks after that, I feel like I need to be very careful about how much strain I put on my knees. At the same time, the recovery runs are important both mentally and physically... so we will see. My knees were really hurting me when I ran my maintenance run two days in row this week. So if nothing else I really have to schedule my runs better.
Today I went to Fleet Feet and replaced my running shoes. Although my current training shoes are in pretty good shape, they would definetly be shot by the time I got to the marathon, and it is never a good thing to try and run 26.2 miles in new shoes. So instead, you buy new running shoes now so that you can start to break them in, but they are still relatively fresh for the marathon.
They were having a sale for a triatholon that is coming up in Chicago next week. So I finally got the opportunity to buy some new running shorts, running panties and body glide to address the chafing and riding up issues I've been having of late.
I also bought some cute workout pants that were on sale. As I'm getting older I'm realizing how important looking good is to how I feel about myself. I've always adopted this whole, "I'm going to be a bum" type attitude. But until recently I've never realized how much it has wrecked havoc on my confidence.
Although I will never be a fashion diva. Being more conscious of my appearance at school, at home and in the gym, has a way of making me feel really good and really confidant. So, it was nice to get some cute things that I can run and go to the gym in, instead of the big, wrinkly things I usually wear.
20 miles... here I come!
peace.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The Next Day
They say if you can complete 18 miles you can complete 26.2
I would definetly say that completing yesterdays run did miracles for my confidence... I am completely assured that I will be able to complete the marathon on October 12.
However as much as this run was a preview for my ability to complete the race...
... it was just as much a preview for how much pain is to come...
I woke up this morning with my ankles still hurting, my legs exceptionally stiff and an aching back...
as the day has gone on my ankles have really improved... but my back and my right knee are still causing me a lot of pain...
the lesson in all of this?
ignoring everyone's advice and not icing was a huge mistake...
for the upcoming 20 mile, 23 mile and the 26.2 mile (the marathon) runs... I will be sure to set aside hours afterwards that will be completely dedicated to icing and resting my body.... attempting to schedule other things in the day is just not going to work....
I will probably rest for one more day and then get back in the gym on Tuesday...
peace.
I would definetly say that completing yesterdays run did miracles for my confidence... I am completely assured that I will be able to complete the marathon on October 12.
However as much as this run was a preview for my ability to complete the race...
... it was just as much a preview for how much pain is to come...
I woke up this morning with my ankles still hurting, my legs exceptionally stiff and an aching back...
as the day has gone on my ankles have really improved... but my back and my right knee are still causing me a lot of pain...
the lesson in all of this?
ignoring everyone's advice and not icing was a huge mistake...
for the upcoming 20 mile, 23 mile and the 26.2 mile (the marathon) runs... I will be sure to set aside hours afterwards that will be completely dedicated to icing and resting my body.... attempting to schedule other things in the day is just not going to work....
I will probably rest for one more day and then get back in the gym on Tuesday...
peace.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
My Knees are Killing Me!
I started to write this blog right after my run this morning.... but my knees, ankles and feet were so freaking swollen i had to shower, take some motrin and take a recovery nap :-)
What one line can characterize today's run?
Lord, when will this be over?
LOL...
but let me start from the beginning...
I was nervous about today's long run after the disaster that was my last long run 2 weeks ago...
Because I had only completed 12 out of the 16 miles from 2 weeks ago... technically I was supposed to only run 15 miles today because we are only supposed to make 2-3 mile jumps. But I planned to do 16 miles, 1. to make it a nice round number :-) and 2. so that I could justify another four mile jump 2 weeks from today in order to participate in the 20 mile run...
Either way... I was not going to do the full 18 miles... I had sufficiently learned my lesson from last time and was going to stick to the game plan...
This run was TOTALLY different.... I felt GREAT... the entire run...
Three weeks of showing up on Saturday mornings, getting my runs in during the week, cutting out [most of] the junk food and making sure I ate at least twice a day made all of the difference.
I also finally got it together and went to Target yesterday and bought "runners snacks" (power gels that give you a boost in energy with a combination of carbs, sodium, potassium, sugar and caffeine and gummy fish with the same ingredients). Eating those things throughout the run instead of those do nothing soy bars that I've been eating during training was WONDERFUL. When I could feel my energy/sugar dropping... they provided that boost I needed to keep pushing through.
This week we ran further north then we've ever run, its beautiful over there! Its crazy how completely different it is from the south side. The thing about the north side is, there are no mile markers once you get to the beach!
So instead of being able to turn around a mile early at Diversey for my altered route, I ended up running all the way to Addison with my group!
I wasn't especially concerned about it though because at the 9 mile turn around I still felt really good. Truthfully (like our coach had warned us before the run)... the last 2 miles were really the roughest. Which was strange, because I really should have started feeling it at mile 14-16.
But my body held up the whole way through, and I didn't start wishing for it to be over (lol) until miles 16-18... and even then... I didn't feel ANYWHERE near as bad as I did two weeks ago... Isn't that crazy?
All in all, I finished up strong, fully enjoyed my run and besides some swollen feet, ankles and knees.... my body was in great shape! I didn't feel exhausted at all!
I'm really proud of myself... running 18 miles successfully is a great feeling :-)
peace.
What one line can characterize today's run?
Lord, when will this be over?
LOL...
but let me start from the beginning...
I was nervous about today's long run after the disaster that was my last long run 2 weeks ago...
Because I had only completed 12 out of the 16 miles from 2 weeks ago... technically I was supposed to only run 15 miles today because we are only supposed to make 2-3 mile jumps. But I planned to do 16 miles, 1. to make it a nice round number :-) and 2. so that I could justify another four mile jump 2 weeks from today in order to participate in the 20 mile run...
Either way... I was not going to do the full 18 miles... I had sufficiently learned my lesson from last time and was going to stick to the game plan...
This run was TOTALLY different.... I felt GREAT... the entire run...
Three weeks of showing up on Saturday mornings, getting my runs in during the week, cutting out [most of] the junk food and making sure I ate at least twice a day made all of the difference.
I also finally got it together and went to Target yesterday and bought "runners snacks" (power gels that give you a boost in energy with a combination of carbs, sodium, potassium, sugar and caffeine and gummy fish with the same ingredients). Eating those things throughout the run instead of those do nothing soy bars that I've been eating during training was WONDERFUL. When I could feel my energy/sugar dropping... they provided that boost I needed to keep pushing through.
This week we ran further north then we've ever run, its beautiful over there! Its crazy how completely different it is from the south side. The thing about the north side is, there are no mile markers once you get to the beach!
So instead of being able to turn around a mile early at Diversey for my altered route, I ended up running all the way to Addison with my group!
I wasn't especially concerned about it though because at the 9 mile turn around I still felt really good. Truthfully (like our coach had warned us before the run)... the last 2 miles were really the roughest. Which was strange, because I really should have started feeling it at mile 14-16.
But my body held up the whole way through, and I didn't start wishing for it to be over (lol) until miles 16-18... and even then... I didn't feel ANYWHERE near as bad as I did two weeks ago... Isn't that crazy?
All in all, I finished up strong, fully enjoyed my run and besides some swollen feet, ankles and knees.... my body was in great shape! I didn't feel exhausted at all!
I'm really proud of myself... running 18 miles successfully is a great feeling :-)
peace.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Recovery Run, Yoga and the Evils of McDonalds and Dairy
This week we ran an 8 mile recovery run.
The recovery runs in combination with the 30min maintenance runs during the week function to help build your endurance and to keep you from straining your body.
A lot of folks at my running site are currently injured, so I've been really blessed to still be injury free.
I went to yoga again on Thursday and really enjoyed it. But since I live in the food desert that is the south side of Chicago I could not find any good breakfast food to eat (of course this made me miss Ann Arbor where there is a cheap, delicious breakfast place on practically every corner *sigh*).
So I convinced myself that an egg mcgridle would be a good substitute for pancakes.
It was clearly the worst idea I've ever had.
Its strange.... the more I workout, the more sensitive my body is to junk food and to other foods like dairy. I'm pretty much forced into eating healthier just so that I don't end up completely miserable...
The trick is going to be.... how does one go about eating in a healthy manner when you live in a food desert and don't know how to cook?
.... things that make you say *hhhhhhmmmm*
peace :-).
The recovery runs in combination with the 30min maintenance runs during the week function to help build your endurance and to keep you from straining your body.
A lot of folks at my running site are currently injured, so I've been really blessed to still be injury free.
I went to yoga again on Thursday and really enjoyed it. But since I live in the food desert that is the south side of Chicago I could not find any good breakfast food to eat (of course this made me miss Ann Arbor where there is a cheap, delicious breakfast place on practically every corner *sigh*).
So I convinced myself that an egg mcgridle would be a good substitute for pancakes.
It was clearly the worst idea I've ever had.
Its strange.... the more I workout, the more sensitive my body is to junk food and to other foods like dairy. I'm pretty much forced into eating healthier just so that I don't end up completely miserable...
The trick is going to be.... how does one go about eating in a healthy manner when you live in a food desert and don't know how to cook?
.... things that make you say *hhhhhhmmmm*
peace :-).
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